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I was trapped in a dark place what seemed like a dungeon. My family in the dream was kept in different cells/rooms. At one point I was able to go into one of the rooms and the friend that was in that room told me how she had been brutally tortured physically. I had been more emotionally tortured than physically by the woman in charge. This woman looked like an alternate old/scary version of myself or someone familiar. She wore a black cape/hood. The place was enormous and dark. The people/family I was in there with knew we'd probably live there for a long time. At one point, during our break where we can all come together from our rooms, we talked about a program that could help us to get out soon. It had to do with studying abroad and we would be free from that place in a couple of years. We were excited about this opportunity since we just wanted to go back into the world and live life again. But then the lady came and she said that wasn't possible. So all our hope was crushed. I cried so much because there was nothing to look forward to. But I was willing to do anything to get us out. So I talked to the old lady and she showed me a video of my supposed fears. She herself then came up to my face with a death stare and I controlled myself to stay calm. She said I'd have to make out with her, so we kissed for a while. Until finally, she said we were free to go. I saw her helpers get our stuff and we were on our way out.

Age/Gender & Location {Required/Post May Be Deleted If Not Provided}: 21

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Anonymous,
What psychological torture have you experienced in your life? This seems to be the primary message of the dream. It also seems to be pointing to an examination {recent} of these experiences or possibility the affects from them that are now preventing you from moving forward in your some aspect. The language of studying abroad {examining some aspect of your life thoroughly} may be symbolic but the two years time frame may be an actual relevant period in your life. Things may seem to be coming together but the emotional aspects from past experiences prevent you from living a normal life {at least psychologically}. There may be an actual event that has come about but because of emotional aspects you are prevented from making a positive move. These are inner aspects that are in conflict and the dream is a 'video' that reveals the true experiences {as dreams are}. Having to make out/kiss the old lady would on one hand suggest you need to reconcile the emotional aspects and could also represent a need to settle any conflicts with a real 'old lady' {the woman in charge who 'tortured' you}. That could be your mother or some other female authority figure where who psychologically victimized you. This is the only way to resolve the issues that will set you free emotionally.

Who would fit with the woman in charge? On one hand it could be yourself, torturing yourself because of some past emotional experience. But likely it is referencing an actual person who psychologically tortured you. Either way there are emotional issues that need to be acknowledged, confronted and resolved.

As for a response to my analysis. Id do this as a free service and your response provides feedback to my analysis. It also may provide further clues to what the dream message is. Be cause dreams are seldom {if ever} straightforward additional information may help reveal the meaning of the images and thus the dream message. The response may help you in recognizing the associations of the symbols to actual life experiences.

Jerry

Age/Gender & Location {Required/Post May Be Deleted If Not Provided}: 65 Cocoa, Fl

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I've been posting here for a while, and the same issue seems to be coming up: psychological emotional issues from my childhood. And in my life I really am at a point where I feel there is always this floating anxiety and I can't live my life at peace and enjoy the present moment.

It's hard trying to pick a specific experience that left me emotionally scarred. As a kid, I was neglected by peers and some family up until my teens. I've witnessed domestic violence between my parents as a child. And I had many babysitters growing up. One of them in particular did hurt my sister and I; she'd force feed us sometimes and make us eat/watch things that weren't good for a child.

In general, I've been psychologically tortured in my life by being neglected at many points, and being either used or taken advantage of when I choose to love. My defense mechanism right now is to intellectualize everything and refrain from putting my emotions first.

Age/Gender & Location {Required/Post May Be Deleted If Not Provided}: 21

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Often, when one has suffered childhood abuse(s), the child introjects the framework of those causing the harm/abuse. Actually, every child introjects A LOT from their environment. But, it is sad when what is introjected is less than good and wholesome. When there is abuse in various forms, the abusers become (at least part of) the internal working models in the psyche of the child. This is quite likely the reason you see the mean old woman in the dream as looking somewhat like yourself/someone familiar. In reality, it was familiar others in your life that mistreated you, but because of the unconscious identification when you were a child, you absorbed their character as your own inner scaffolding/framework. And you may blame yourself for the abuse. But, certainly, it was NOT! your fault.

I am of the opinion that if our dreams are bringing our issues to the foreground, then our psyche is saying it is time/ready to heal.

You mentioned studying abroad. Does this mean you are at University, presently? I ask because most University's have Counseling Centers where one may get help free of charge.

The anxiety and dreams are the symptoms prodding you to seek help to resolve the psychological/emotional issues.

I think there still looms large a stigma which keeps people from seeking help for their mental health. A stigma which may call it a sign of weakness to have to see a mental health professional. But it just is not so. It is actually a demonstration of strength to step forward into helping oneself. You were not capable to do so as child, but you are capable of doing so now. And there are caring professionals standing ready to help.

Sincere Regards

Age/Gender & Location {Required/Post May Be Deleted If Not Provided}: 49, Female, Missouri

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Anonymous,
What you say is true. The emotional issues from childhood become 'fixed' within the psyche and become motivators for personality and actions in adult life. We used to think infants were born with a blank slate but now we know they have a whole set of instructions mapped out as to how life should be. Besides the physical mother/father we all have archetypal mothers/fathers, inherent expectations within each psyche that are there to preserve wholeness and harmony as a direction for human life {just like the turtle knows to go to water when hatched, humans also have these inherent instructions, the archetypes}. Nature has provided these mapped out instructions and when not met we are 'out of balance' and our dreams attempt to help us right the ship and bring about balance, wholeness and harmony.

But beyond the archetypes we also now know that infants have the greatest capacity of learning in their earliest years. Recent research in brain development shows how critical the first years of a child’s life are to their happiness and success. What a child learns/witnesses in their earliest years become templates for personality and how the child lives their life. Experiences/influences from those years are motivators for behavior and most often what is learned in the early years come back as actions in adult life. These motivating energies are visited nightly in our dreams.

Just as the immune system protects/heals the body, nature provided us with the dream to perform the same function for the psyche.

Jerry

Age/Gender & Location {Required/Post May Be Deleted If Not Provided}: 65 Cocoa, Fl

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